The Walking Dead: What Happened and What’s Going On

Of course, you know that we are going to be having major spoilers up ahead, so enter at your own risk for lots on episode 509 of The Walking Dead.

So after a brief recap, we find ourselves digging. For what, we don’t immediately know. Judging by all the tears, Beth’s funeral is a very touching affair? Perhaps, even if it is short. Plans to head to Richmond are made and off we go, heading to Virginia, to scout Noah’s old camp! Lizzie and Mika visiting from beyond the grave are beyond creepy. Blood dripping on the house painting goes well with it.

Cue the music we have all been waiting months for. Hooray!

Okay, apparently we are already in Virginia. A lot of distance has been traveled during the break. It looks like the gang has come together in their time of grief, with Tyreese firmly taking the role of moral compass that Herschel and Dale once occupied, giving advice to our new member, Noah. Judging by the fates of the prior compasses, things aren’t looking good for Tyreese. We will see. Rick provides the necessary exposition via walkie talkie to Carol, who is holding down the fort with Darryl and the rest of the group. It almost seems like Glenn and Michonne are along for the ride, at this point.

Pop goes the CD. I really hope it was a Justin Bieber disc. Knowing my luck, it was a limited edition Diamond Dogs CD. Oh well.

I don’t care how long this show runs, walkers trapped behind dirty glass is still creepy as hell. Locking them in a car doesn’t reduce the creep factor. As they close in on the walled camp, things don’t look so promising. Of course, they don’t. It wouldn’t be the zombocalypse if everything went as planned. The gates are sealed and, after a quick hop over the wall, their hopes are dashed. Walkers and bodies and burned buildings, oh my!

If there’s one thing I hate, it’s watching a fat man weep. Oh wait, wrong movie/show. After a brief expression of regret, Rick lets Carol know that their mission is a bust. Apparently, Rick decided to check out the town in Beth’s memory? What a better cap on the sentiment than blood running in the gutters, huh?

So Tyreese tries to give Noah a pep talk about how you just can’t give up, but it turns into a chase. Seriously, it’s like getting a tenderness lecture from Mean Joe Green. Thank you, Michonne, for giving Rick and Glenn what they needed. Cut the dwelling on the bad stuff out before it destroys you.

Knock, knock, anyone home? Don’t come in, the house is a mess! Of course, a cheap blanket will help clean it up. In a shot hearkening back to Rhiannon Frater’s As the World Dies: The First Days, we see the shadows of a little walker under the door. Creepy as all hell.

It turns out it was time for Tyreese to follow T-Dog’s example and, now that the group has a new black guy, he needs to go. Noah’s little brother takes a big ass chunk out of the seemingly invincible dude’s forearm. Seriously, after wading through a mob of walkers last season, Tyreese getting taken out by one kid sees a bit underwhelming, if intense. I knew it when he started spouting off in the truck. Why can’t people just shut up. It could save your life.

There’s that fucking painting of the house again! More ghosts coming back to see Tyreese, with an old news radio, as atmospheric noise. That’s right, Bob. Stand up for Ty! Martin is such an instigator, pushing Tyreese to stop fighting. Holy shit, the Governor too! I never thought we’d get to see him again.
Never mind, not the Governor, just another walker. As Tyreese shoves his arm into the walker’s mouth, I totally expected an homage to Day of the Dead with a “Choke on it! ” Alas, no. Ty’s having a shitty day alright.

Michonne is being the optimist, planning for the future while Rick and Glenn are being Gloomy Gusses. “Hey, Rick! Look what I found. Parts! ” Hmm, was Eugene actually onto something? Should they head the rest of the way to DC from Richmond? Yep, Rick steps up and makes the decision.

Cries for help sends our gang running for the house to find Noah surrounded by walkers. After a quick slice and dice, Noah lets them know Tyreese’s fate and off they go running into the next commercial break.

Sure, Beth got her brains blown out last episode, but we couldn’t without one more happy song from her, singing about how the strong man has got to move on. To the other side, maybe? I think so. All these ghosts pulling him on, Tyreese struggles with his choices. Shut up, Brian, I mean, Governor! I did what I had to to help. “I’m not giving up, you hear me? People like me can’t live but nobody gotta die today.” Um, I think you do, Ty.

Aw, Lizzie wants to hold his hand. Wait a sec, that’s not Lizzie. Chop! Do we get Herschel part two? Maybe a quick cut is all we need.

A quick cut to commercials, that is. Time to catch my breath.

Run, run, as fast as you can! We have ourselves a bleeding man! The run for the gates takes the crew to a sizable crowd of undead and just as big a mess, including a cool, if obviously CGI, slo-mo headshot. Holy hell, is this guy heavy!

Will those ghosts just leave him be already? Sure, Beth is giving him the ultimate message in the form of song, but the one thing that has always helped Tyreese is his strength of will.

Truck full of walker torsos? What the hell? I never had a collection that complete. Maybe Craigslist will have what I need to complete my collection.

Nice symbolism with Bob, Beth and the girls driving him to the other side. Brake lights and everybody out! Either someone sharted or it’s time to take care of Ty. Okay, they’re just putting down the big guy.

We get to see that the funeral at the beginning wasn’t Beth’s but Tyreese’s. You can see in the intensity on Rick’s face that, not only is he tired of losing friends, but he’s really tired of digging graves.

And that is all until next week, when we finally get to see what the rest of the group are doing, as they head north to DC. From my experiences in the Metro area, it probably hasn’t changed much. That town has always been full of mindless, shambling zombies. We called them politicians.

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Posted by Michael Fisher
on Sunday, February 8th, 2015. Filed under Dark TV, Headline.
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